Dearly Beloved
by Megan The J Fan
Summary: Jubilee and Jono come to grips with their feelings after the deaths of friends.


Dearly Beloved 

Jubilee stood in the doorway of the Medbay at the Academy, watching Sean Cassidy administer CPR on Emma Frost with wide-eyes, unable to believe that The White Queen was dying right in front of her eyes, and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it. She stood for what seemed like hours, but what in actuality was ten to fifteen minutes, while most of the others waited in the Rec Room. It was then, in that short span of time, that both Jubilee and Sean Cassidy realized what they lost. Everett Thomas' voice echoed in a rather eerie tone as he placed a hand on Banshee's shoulder, "She's dead sir." 

"NO!" Jubilee cried out in her sleep. "It's not fair!" she asserted as she sat up in bed, continuing to scream as sweat dripped down her face. It took a moment of staring about her empty room for her to realize she was reliving the experience in her dreams. She blinked, and looked over at the clock, six a.m. She sighed, and actually got out of bed, looking over sadly at the bed, which Paige would normally have occupied. Both Paige and Emma Frost had died that week. She lost her best friend, and as much as she hated to admit it, a mother figure all in one sitting. Paige's funeral was the day before yesterday, and Emma Frost's was today. After the funeral, Jubilee and Everett would leave for New York, to stay with the X-Men, and the rest of the team would go their separate ways. 

After a long bath, Jubilee pulled herself from the tub and prepared herself for the funeral. Funeral. She despised the word. Perhaps more so than any of the other members of Generation-X, Jubilee learned at an early age what it was like to lose friends, what it was like to lose family, and the inability to deal with death came right along with it. It was the death of her parents that began the chain of events, which eventually brought her to the X-Men. It was the thought of Wolverine being dead which caused her to use her powers to blow up a house in Japan. It was Illyana's death, which brought her and Scott one step closer to one another, and it was the death of Paige Guthrie and Emma Frost, which would bring her back to the X-Men. 

Jubilee wandered downstairs after getting dressed and made her way towards the kitchen. For once in her life, she headed to the kitchen without much of an appetite. She leaned in the doorway of the Kitchen for a moment, almost seeing Emma Frost at the stove, realizing that she'd give anything to have some of Frosty's horrid cooking at the moment. Her eyes then drifted towards the kitchen table as she made her way towards the refrigerator, remembering the days when she and Paige would have the late-night Sugar Bomb munchies. Tears filled her eyes as she opened up a can of root beer, listening to the alarms going off as people prepared. Had an hour and a half already passed? 

~~Gel?~~ Jonothon Starsmore inquired as he walked into the kitchen, surprised that Jubilee was up as early as she was. Jubilee quickly tried to hide the tears as she inquired with a wry smirk, "Couldn't sleep either?" Jonothon nodded numbly before sitting down at the kitchen table. Jubilee paused, setting the root beer down as she made her way to the table. "Sucks, doesn't it?" she asked softly, reaching a hand out to Jono. ~~I don't want to talk about it~~ he asserted softly. "Yeah right," Jubilee retorted. "That's why you and me are sitting here, fully dressed and ready." ~~You couldn't possibly understand J~~ he explained, or at least tried to in a matter of fact tone. "Oh really? Listen Jono, I know how much Paige meant to you," Jubilee explained in a slightly sharp tone. She was my best friend, as well as my roomie. Don't tell me I don't know or can't possibly understand. I've watched my parents, teammates, people I've loved, die, right in front of me. Don't tell me I don't understand because believe me Mr. I'm always depressed, I do." Silence. Jubilee sighed, murmuring, "I'm so" as Jono brought a finger to her lips. ~~No need~~ Jono asserted softly. ~~You're right..it..it just hurts..so much. I loved her, J. She was the first that ever got to me. Paige was the first that managed to find a way into my life, into my deeper thoughts, into a side of me that I rarely let people see and I~~ Jubilee simply wrapped her arms around Jono, the both of them in the kitchen ..for what seemed like hours, crying, holding one another. 

A soft, Irish "Kids?" eventually brought the duo out of their shell, as they looked up at Sean Cassidy, who loomed in the doorway. "It's time." Jono and Jubilee looked at one another, and embraced one last time before leaving the kitchen. Sean turned out the light as he walked out, tears streaming down his face as he followed in suit, allowing the memories of the love and laughter he shared with a love..and a student, to linger in the kitchen. Sean could already hear the minister's words as the door to the Academy closed behind him for what would probably be the last time. "Dearly Beloved.." 

(The End) 


End file.
